“Not only residential houses and commercial structures but even human lives are lost in fire incidents month after months and year after year.”
Devastating fire incidents occurring and reoccurring in Kashmir particularly in congested downtown Srinagar and old parts of major towns of Kashmir Valley themselves speak volumes about the carelessness people show in handling heating appliances and lack of public awareness about fire safety measures . The recent fire incident in Bohri Kadal area of downtown Srinagar that gutted historical Bazar Masjid besides several commercial structures is yet another wake up call for the both the Government and as well as the local populations about both the fire safety measures and as well as carelessness shown by the people in handling heating appliances both in summer and winter seasons. Not only residential houses and commercial structures but even human lives are lost in fire incidents month after months and year after year. Interestingly very recently a resident in Narkara area of Budgam district died in a geyser blast incident the cause of which was apparently not only carelessness shown in handling the geyser but also the quality of the geyser used by resident. Be it the Bazar Masjid fire incident or Naraka geyser blast tragedy the list of fire accidents is distressingly long and shockingly occurrence and re-occurrence of fire incidents heads to no dead end in Kashmir particularly in congested downtown Srinagar city and old parts of major towns of Kashmir Valley. Shockingly the role of Fire & Emergency Services Department has attracted lot of criticism in most of the fire incidents that occurred in down areas of Srinagar city and old parts of major towns of Kashmir Valley in recent years. The unprecedented rise in fire incidents as such demands and deserves immediate attention of the Government for the purposes of the enforcement of fire safety regulations in Jammu & Kashmir. While primary causes of the fire incidents are believed to be electric short circuits, the role of the Fire & Emergency Services Department in reducing the loss of life and property in fire incidents demands an immediate review at the highest level for the purposes of improving the working of the Department both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.
“Unprecedented rise in fire incidents can’t be reduced without enforcement of fire safety guidelines both for the residential and as well as commercial structures across Jammu & Kashmir. While Jammu & Kashmir Government is yet to adopt a comprehensive policy for relief and rehabilitation of fire victims, a proactive policy on fire safety and a strict regulation of fire incidents deserves and demands immediate attention of the Jammu & Kashmir Government for the purposes of securing and safeguarding the lives and the properties of the hapless populations in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.”
While National Building Code of India provides comprehensive guidelines for fire safety, the guidelines are unfortunately yet to be implemented in Jammu & Kashmir. Notably the guidelines of the National Building Code Of India mandates fire-safety measures and proper evacuation systems in case of commercial structures like hotels, shopping malls and heritage buildings. It is an irrefutable fact that unprecedented rise in fire incidents can’t be reduced without enforcement of fire safety guidelines both for the residential and as well as commercial structures across Jammu & Kashmir. While Jammu & Kashmir Government is yet to adopt a comprehensive policy for relief and rehabilitation of fire victims, a proactive policy on fire safety and a strict regulation of fire incidents deserves and demands immediate attention of the Jammu & Kashmir Government for the purposes of securing and safeguarding the lives and the properties of the hapless populations in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.
